Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team could not slow nationally-ranked Vanderbilt, dropping an 83-51 non-conference tilt, Wednesday night at the Dunn Center.

Austin Peay (2-4) kept the game close in the opening seven minutes and trailed by only three points, 10-7, after sophomore Meghan Bussabarger made a pair of free throws. However, the Lady Govs could not maintain their early momentum and made only two of their next 13 shots.

Austin Peay Women's Basketball.

No. 25/22 Vanderbilt (7-0), which entered the game shooting nearly 50 percent from the field, found its shooting stroke while Austin Peay struggled. The Commodores made 8-of-12 attempts from the field over the next eight minutes as part of a 21-4 run that broke the game open with VU leading 31-11 with 5:40 left. Vanderbilt made 50 percent (15-of-30) of its first half shots and took a 22-point, 43-21 lead into halftime.

The Lady Govs shooting warmed only marginally in the second half, converting 37 percent of their shots (10-of-37). Vanderbilt kept the pressure on, making 45.2 percent (14-of-31) as its lead reached 30 points seven minutes into the second half.

Junior Leslie Martinez led the Lady Govs with her season’s first double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Sophomore Shyra Brown added a career-high 13 points. Both Martinez and Brown led a bench effort that scored 30 of the Lady Govs 51 points. Austin Peay’s starting five – led by senior Whitney Hanley’s eight points – was held to 21 points and made only 19.3 percent (6-of-31) of its field goals.

It was Austin Peay’s second loss this season to a nationally-ranked team (Louisville). Austin Peay is 2-25 all-time against ranked teams, and 0-10 under Daniels.

Head coach Carrie Daniels Quotes

“We knew what it was coming into the game. Vandy is a tremendous team, very disciplined, very balanced, and we knew transition defense was going to be a key for us coming into the ballgame. But with that transition defense, with us knowing that they like to run the ball, they also have tremendous shooters. You have to get back on defense and you have to get out and be able to contest the shooter.”

“I don’t think we were ready out of the gate. We weren’t ready to play right from the tip. They get the ball and score on us. We weren’t down in a stance for forty minutes. I think that when we got shots we got some open looks, but from those open looks, we were worried about the defense. It wasn’t us focusing on the basket and the shot. We were worried about Vanderbilt.”

“I was very pleased. Leslie came in and really gave us a spark in the first half. For her to come in and get a double-double on the offensive glass, to get the second-chance look – it was tremendous for her. Shyra Brown, as well, did a good job for us to go up against the big girls in the post. Obviously, there were times that they got their position down low, but she did a good job of getting around, getting her hand on some passes, knocking it loose. (Shyra and Leslie) gave us great energy.”